This invention relates generally to wireless computer networks.
A host processor-based system may communicate with a variety of other devices to form a wireless network. A variety of peripherals and computer systems may be linked together through a wireless network. One protocol for establishing wireless links of this type is the IEEE Std. 802.11 (1999). In such a system, a host may receive packets over the network.
In some cases, the host may be a power consumption sensitive device. One example of such a device is a portable processor-based system that operates from a battery power source. To conserve power, the portable device may power down to a reduced power consumption state.
In the course of network operations, a large number of packets may be passed between various devices on the network. Some of these packets may be important and others may be less important. However, each time a packet is transmitted across the network to a given host, that host must receive the packet and determine whether the packet needs handling. If the host is in a reduced power consumption state this means that the host must transition from the reduced power consumption state to an increased power consumption state in order to handle the packet. Such transitions generally increase the power consumption of the host processor-based system.
Thus, there is a need for ways to reduce the power consumption of devices on wireless networks and particularly there is a need for ways to reduce the unnecessary interruptions of the host in reduced power consumption states.